Here are some wonderful artisan-made cat products from an organization that is making a difference. SERRV is a nonprofit organization that supports artisans and farmers worldwide by marketing their crafts and goods through an alternative trade outlet. The program helps these artisans to build their businesses, providing them with a sustainable income.

The SERRV website offers all kinds of goods, including a few interesting cat products. The Double-Decker Cat House, shown above, is a collaboration between two different groups. Dhaka Handicrafts from Bangladesh makes the frame and the cushion is made by a different group in Nepal. The frame has a wire base that is wrapped with fibers from the Holga plant, a renewable resource found along the riverbanks in Bangladesh. The Holga Scratching Post, also shown above, is made from the same material.

One more kitty-related find on the SERRV website comes from The Community Crafts Association in the Philippines. This set of two cat toys is woven from lukmoy vine and each has a metal jingle bell inside.

Do you have an eco-conscious kitty? Then she’s going to need one of these in her Christmas stocking! The Original Greenmouse is an eco-friendly cardboard mouse toy that cats love. Made from 100% recycled cardboard with organic cotton twine and infused with catnip oil, these little mice are sure to please. The toys are made in the USA and all the materials are grown and produced here in the US, too.

Ever wonder what happens to all the beautiful fabric scraps that are left over from making the super cool Cat Ball hideaway beds and Cat Canoes by Jenna’s Red Rhino? They become these hip little catnip mouse toys! Each one is very stylish, indeed! They’re now available for sale from The Cat Ball Etsy shop for just $3.99 each.

Neko Flies just launched a set of brand new attachments for their wildly popular wand toys and they sent us some to test. I let my newest product tester, Little Bear, have a look and he approves! BIG TIME! These three new attachments are mind-blowing!

The new collection features little design elements that will drive cats crazy. The new Foxifur Kittenator attachment is made with a little bit of faux fur attached to a “head” that’s perfect for grabbing onto, as Little Bear demonstrates above. Actually, I have to pry it out of his mouth, he loves it so much. It is just the right size and texture and the tail wiggles just like a live critter (but it’s cruelty-free!). It’s Little Bear’s new favorite thing.

The new Kattipede attachment is another awesome little creature that has two segments, which makes it jiggle and wiggle around. And the dangly little legs and antennae are irresistible.

Rounding out the new collection is the Kittycaterfly with shimmering butterfly wings that catch kitty’s eye as they fly by, causing serious pouncing and chasing. Just like all the other Neko Flies cat toys, the new offerings are very sturdy.

The new Neko Flies attachments and now available from nekoflies.com and on Amazon. These make perfect holiday gifts!

ENTER TO WIN!

One lucky reader is going to win a Foxifur Kittenator with rod and a Kattipede attachment! To enter, please leave a comment on this post. The winner will be selected in a random drawing and announced on October 29, 2012. One entry per person. This giveaway is limited to addresses in the US and Canada.

Introducing CatAmazing, a new toy for super-intelligent kitties! This is a fun little puzzle box that is really well-designed. They just sent us one to test and I’m really impressed with everything about it.

CatAmazing is a corrugated cardboard puzzle box with a colored insert piece creating hard to reach channels that kitty can access through different shaped openings on the outside. It’s quite thoughtfully designed, with three different levels of difficulty and using colors that are best seen by cats.

CatAmazing is very easy to put together, with just two pieces that ship in a flat package.

I set-up the CatAmazing and put some tasty treats inside and the frenzy began…

The extremely food-motivated kittens pretty much dominated, then finally Ando had a chance to check it out for himself. Alas, we were out of treats. What to do?

Fill it with toys! I loaded the box with small toys — fuzzy mice, jingle balls, ping pong balls, etc. — and the kittens set to work emptying it right away. They can do this for hours. It’s a great way to keep everyone entertained, including yourself because it’s so much fun to watch as the cats poke their paws in the different openings, trying to get at the goodies inside.

CatAmazing is available at catamazing.com for just $14.95, including free shipping to US addresses.

ENTER TO WIN! THREE WINNERS!

Three lucky readers are each going to have the chance to try CatAmazing for themselves! To enter, please leave a comment on this post. The winners will be chosen in a random drawing and announced on October 28, 2012. One entry per person. This giveaway is limited to addresses in the US and Canada.

We have a new project cooking over at Moderncat Studio and this is your chance to score some terrific deals for the holidays! Introducing our newest creation, Puzzle Pieces Merino Wool Felt Cat Toys. These little toys are made from the same 100% natural Merino wool felt that we use for our popular Atomic Flyers. The extra-thick wool comes in vibrant colors that you will love, and kitty can’t get enough of the texture. These little toys are perfect for batting around on hard floors, plus they’re just the right size for kitty to carry in her mouth. The fun part about Puzzle Pieces is that they all fit together. Mix and match the colors to make a little square and let kitty pull it apart.

Each piece measures approximately 2″ by 2″. When assembled the square measures 4″ by 4″. Puzzle Pieces will come in six luscious color combinations, just like our Atomic Flyers.

We are in the process of making the first batch of Puzzle Pieces, as well as a new stock of the Atomic Flyers and also the Stacks Cat Toys, which all use the same felt. The new inventory will be ready to ship in November but we wanted to give you the first opportunity to grab some of these fun toys at a special discount.

We created a special Moderncat Studio Presale Shop just for you. For a limited time you can get the Puzzle Pieces for just $8 a set (regularly $10) including FREE SHIPPING to US addresses and just $5 flat rate shipping for international orders.

We also have a special Felt Toy Gift Set including one of each of our felt cat toys. You’ll get one set of Atomic Flyers, one set of Puzzle Pieces and one Stacks cat toy for just $20 (retail value $27), also including FREE SHIPPING to US addresses and $5 flat rate international shipping.

These special deals will only be available for a limited time. All pre-orders will ship before the end of November in plenty of time for the holidays.

Good (and not so good) kitties deserve a little treat this Halloween! And since they can’t have any of our holiday candy (remember, chocolate is toxic to cats!) here are some delicious handmade goodies that they can enjoy:

Every kitty deserves a little treat at Halloween, so Moderncat Studio created a limited edition Halloween Cat Toy Gift Set just for the occasion! This collection of handmade goodies comes packaged in a crystal clear gift box and includes the following tasty treats, all in special Halloween colors:

These limited edition Trash Toys Gift Sets from Moderncat Studio include an assortment of handmade cat toys that all make use of re-purposed materials. The set comes packaged in a cute mini metal trash can!

We hate to throw anything away at Moderncat Studio, and we use a lot of thread making our popular ModKickers and ModShakers, so the empty thread spools have been piling up. It took a while, but I came up with a totally original design for a new cat toy that combines the recycled thread spools with colorful fleece. Check out our new Taffy Roll Cat Toys!

Each one measures 2″ by 1.5″ and they come in five fun color combinations. As you might guess, they roll across the floor really well, plus they are light enough for kitty to pick them up by the little end pieces and toss them around.

Calling all seamstresses! If you sew and have been collecting thread spools like those shown above, we may be able to take them off your hands! Please email info [at] moderncatstudio [dot] com.

Kitty’s head will spin with this new toy from Bergan! It’s the Catnip Hurricane, which actually combines two toys in one to create an extra special kitty play experience. The center ring is the new Catnip Cyclone, a mini ring toy with a compartment in the center for catnip. As the ball races around the ring, the air current causes the catnip aroma to waft out, delighting kitty and sparking more playtime.

The Catnip Cyclone can be used alone, or it nests on top of the Bergan Turbo Scratcher or the Bergan Starchaser for multi-level entertainment. When combined with one of the other toys, kitty will have two exercise balls to chase, plus the catnip center.

The folks at Tipsy Nip just added a fun new item to their wildly popular Tickle Pickle line. Check out the new Tickle Gherkins! They’re miniature Tickle Pickles, stuffed with 100% organic catnip that kitties love. The Tickle Gherkins were designed specifically for smaller cats and kittens, but everyone in our house loves them! They’re the perfect size for tossing around and pouncing on.

ENTER TO WIN! THREE WINNERS!

Three lucky winners are each going to receive a set of Tickle Gherkins! To enter, please leave a comment on this post. The winners will be chosen in a random drawing and announced on August 23, 2012. One entry per person. Due to shipping restrictions, this giveaway is open to readers everywhere, excluding Australia and New Zealand.

The team over at GO!PETDESIGN in Brooklyn has been hard at work creating some fabulous new toys for kitty. As with all of their creations, the new toys are handmade using re-purposed, recycled, and natural materials. Plus these toys are all made in the USA.

I’m always on the look out for a good wand toy, so I’m excited to see these two new offerings from GO!PETDESIGN. Their new Roach Rod is a 12″ rod with a giant felt cockroach attached to a string. The roach is filled with organic catnip and has six dangly little legs to drive kitty mad. The Rat Rod is similar, but with a Scrappy Rat attached. I can see many hours of fun, interactive play with these toys!

For tossing and chasing, check out the new catBIRDS, made with reclaimed fabric scraps and stuffed with organic catnip.

The new toys, along with all the other GO!PETDESIGN items, can be purchased from the GPD Etsy shop.

I’ve had one of these in the closet for a while, but I pulled it out when the foster kittens arrived, and boy am I glad I did! It’s the Bergan Turbo Track Cat Toy, and not only does it keep the kittens entertained, but it’s bringing out the kitten in some of my older cats, too!

The lime green race trace can be reconfigured a number of different ways. Just snap together the segments, insert the ball and you’re ready to go. We’ve been using it in the standard figure eight layout. I want to get another one or two to create a super turbo track that goes all around the living room!

I also love that it’s easy to clean, simply take the plastic pieces apart and wash them in soapy water.

The Turbo Track is affordable at just over $15 from Amazon. It’s a really good investment and my cats don’t seem to be getting bored with it, because I notice them batting the ball around throughout the day, every day.

The potent organic catnip inside will catch kitty’s attention as she strolls by. When she grabs a hold of the toy and lets go, The DoorShaker will spring into the air for wild entertainment. The rattle sound inside adds to the fun.

Coming to you from the San Francisco Bay Area, I’d like to introduce Miso Handmade, creator of cute and conscious handmade cat toys. Miso Handmade designs unique cat toys with a sense of humor and local consciousness. They purchase materials from local businesses whenever possible, and they use recyclable packaging. All of their materials are the highest quality and most are made in the USA.

The toy collection includes the colorful Rainbow Chasers, filled with 100% catnip, no fiber fill, and the Leather Pride Catnip Toy, which doesn’t include any leather, but is made with faux suede for kitties who like a leather texture but who want to live a vegan lifestyle (ha ha!).

We’re in the middle of strawberry season and you don’t want kitty to feel left out! Here are some luscious berries that she can sink her teeth into. These adorable catnip stuffed Mewberries are from Etsy seller K Grant Designs. Plump, ripe berries made with assorted red and white fabrics and green felt and ribbon tops come packaged in a little plastic basket, $4 each or three for $10. Going to a fellow cat lover’s house for a barbecue? These would make a great hostess gift!

Have you ever taken a circuit training class? The kind where you run all over the gym from one station to another, doing push-ups and jumping rope, then squats followed by a few minutes on the treadmill? Well, now kitty can have her own circuit training course with the Hagen Catit Design Senses Play Circuit. This circuit training course for kitty includes three of Hagen’s most popular cat toys: the Play Circuit Track with a curved peek-a-boo track and moving ball; the Massage Centeroffering kitty a variety of sculpted textures and surfaces for rubbing and grooming; and the Treat Maze,which makes kitty work for her meal or treat.

Separately, these three cat toys would cost almost $70 regularly, but you can get all three in a special bundle from Amazonfor just $39.23. It’s time for kitty to get in shape!

What’s new at Moderncat Studio, you ask? How about Stacks, colorful felt cat toys! These were really fun to design, using leftover pieces of Merino wool felt from our popular Atomic Flyers. The odd shaped felt pieces make these colorful little toys bounce unpredictably across the floor, giving kitty a run for her money.

Cats love the texture of the felt and you’ll love the fun colors. Plus, Stacks are soft, so if you step on one in the middle of the night, it won’t hurt as much as stepping on the little plastic mouse that kitty loves so much and always leaves right in the middle of the hallway for you.

Kitties will love these awesome toys from Auntie Em Creations! They are truly Da Bomb, filled with nothing but organic catnip that will send your cat flying around the room. The original version is made with new denim fabric and a colorful feather boa “fuse”. Or choose the recycled version made with re-purposed fabrics and a braided fuse.

Here’s a fun way to keep kitty entertained without the hassle and expense of replacing batteries every other day. It’s a new cat toy called the Solar Chaser. Simply attach the base of the toy to any window in direct sunlight and the solar cell automatically activates the moving rod with a dangling toy. It’s a pretty cool idea!

They sent me one to test and I’m quite impressed. The large suction cups hold the base on the window securely and the solar cell works immediately when exposed to direct sun. The cats love the dangly toy and I love that I don’t have to buy batteries!

The rod is removable, letting you detach it from the base and play with kitty after dark. The Solar Chaser is available directly from solarchasers.com for $29.95.

ENTER TO WIN!

Here’s your chance to win a Solar Chaser for your cat! To enter, please leave a comment on this post. The winner will be selected in a random drawing and announced on June 6, 2012. One entry per person. This giveaway includes free shipping to addresses in the US and Canada.

]]>http://www.moderncat.net/2012/05/30/new-solar-chasers-battery-free-sun-powered-cat-toy-enter-to-win/feed/1431NEW! Limited Edition A-frame Modern Cat Scratcher and Play Station from Moderncat Studiohttp://www.moderncat.net/2012/05/13/new-limited-edition-a-frame-modern-cat-scratcher-and-play-station-from-moderncat-studio/
http://www.moderncat.net/2012/05/13/new-limited-edition-a-frame-modern-cat-scratcher-and-play-station-from-moderncat-studio/#commentsSun, 13 May 2012 15:04:32 +0000moderncathttp://www.moderncat.net/?p=17582

What’s new at Moderncat Studio? Check out our limited edition A-frame Modern Cat Scratcher and Play Station. These fun little sculptures combine both art and function for you and your cat. The A-frame provides cats and kittens with a vertical scratching surface and a fun place to hide under and around. Our popular ModShaker catnip filled rattle toy hangs inside on an elastic cord, enticing kitty to play.

The A-frame scratcher measures 12″ wide, 13″ deep and 15″ tall, so it’s great for kittens, but even my bigger cats like to play under and around it. Our model, Andy, is still pretty small at 8 months.

These really are limited edition, so when they’re gone, they’re gone. We’re experimenting with the design to see what people (and cats!) think. The A-frame scratchers are all made with formaldehyde-free MDF. Designs include plain MDF with the circle pattern, plus red and white laminate with the circle pattern or mid-century modern architectural block patterns.

Choose from a variety of colorful carpet or striped sisal scratching surfaces with a coordinating ModShaker catnip rattle toy dangling inside. Each one of our A-frame scratchers is unique.

The A-frame scratchers are currently available only from the Moderncat Studio Etsy shop. The plain MDF is $65 and the laminate finishes are $80. The A-frame scratcher is a design collaboration with Juggernaut Design, exclusively for Moderncat Studio.

Based just outside Providence, Rhode Island, Up Country designs and manufactures a line of colorful, fun pet accessories, including these new catnip filled kitty toys. Mimi Mouse wears an Up Country signature ribbon and the catnip fortune cookies come packaged in a takeout box. Both are handmade with soft brightly colored fabrics.

With a 9 month old kitten in the house, I’m constantly looking for distractions that will hold his attention for as long as possible, so I was thrilled when the folks at Aïkiou sent me the Stimulo activity center for cats to test. Stimulo was originally designed to slow down speedy eaters. The toy comes with a sturdy base that holds tubes of different lengths. You put kitty’s dry food in the bottom of the tubes and she has to dig around to get it, slowing down her chow time and helping with digestion.

We don’t eat dry food, so I filled up the Stimulo with small toys and set it down for Andy to explore. It does the trick! He will work away until most of the toys are out, then he plays for a while and goes back to clean it out. I stuff the toys back in periodically and he’s thrilled.

Stimulo is available from Amazon for $24.95, plus you can get the level three tubes separately for more advanced kitties. Here’s a video of some cats using it as a feeder (if you can’t see the video below in your email, click here to watch it on the site):

ENTER TO WIN! TWO WINNERS!

Two lucky readers are each going to receive a Stimulo Activity Center for Cats plus a set of level three tubes. To enter, please leave a comment on this post. The winners will be chosen in a random drawing and announced on May 3, 2012. One entry per person. This giveaway is open to readers everywhere!